Our Pride
Distinguished Alumni
JNU notable Alumni placed as top government officials, corporate giants and academicians are a measure of our success.
Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
M.A. in Political Science, School of Social Sciences (SSS); M.Phil. and PhD in International Relations, School of International Studies (SIS)
Holding a doctorate from JNU, he is the External Affairs Minister of India. He was Foreign Secretary from 2015-18, Ambassador to the United States from 2013-15, Ambassador to China from 2009-2013, High Commissioner to Singapore from 2007-2009 and Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2000-2004. He did his M.Phil and Ph.D from JNU.
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman
M.A. and M.Phil. in Economics, School of Social Sciences (SSS)
A postgraduate from JNU,she is the Union Finance Minister and former Defence Minister of India. She formerly served as the Defence Minister of India, thereby becoming India's second female defence minister and also the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi and the first full-time female Finance Minister. She served as a member of the National Commission for Women between 2003-2005.
Dr. Abhijit Banerjee
M.A. in Economics, School of Social Sciences (SSS)
A postgraduate from JNU, He is the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT. In 2019, he won the Nobel Prize in Economics along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty. He co-founded J-PAL and continues to contribute to development economics. Recently, he was appointed to the Telangana Vision Board (2025) and received honorary degrees from UPenn and ENS Lyon.
Mr. Amitabh Kant
M.A. in International Relations, School of International Studies (SIS)
A postgraduate from JNU, he is currently serving as IndiGo director and formerly served as India's G20 Sherpa and formerly served as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog. A member of the Indian Administrative Service (Kerala Cadre), he has played a key role in flagship initiatives like Make in India, Startup India, Incredible India, and God's Own Country.
Ms. Anjana Sinha
M.A. in International Politics, School of International Studies (SIS)
A 1990-batch IPS officer, she has served as the Director of the National Industrial Security Academy (NISA). With over 20 years of experience, she has served in strategic advisory roles with the UN in Bosnia-Herzegovina and as a nodal person for UNODC in anti-human trafficking campaigns.
Dr. Amitabh Rajan
B.A., M.A. in Modern History, and Ph.D. in Sociological Jurisprudence, School of Social Sciences (SSS)
A 1979-batch IAS officer, he is the Chairman of the Reserve Bank of India Services Board. He formerly served as the Home Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. He is an acclaimed author of several books on ethics, human rights, and administrative power.
Prof. Apurva Sarin
Ph.D., School of Life Sciences (SLS)
A distinguished cell biologist, she serves as the Director of the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem). Her research on apoptosis in metazoan cells earned her the National Bioscience Award for Career Development. She is an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Arvind Gupta
M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the School of International Studies (SIS)
A former Deputy National Security Advisor of India (2014–2017), he is currently the Director of the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF). He previously served as the Director General of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and held the Lal Bahadur Shastri Chair on National Security.
Mr. Venu Rajamony
M.A. in International Studies, School of International Studies (SIS)
A career diplomat who served as the Ambassador of India to the Netherlands (2017–2020) and Press Secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee. During his time at JNU, he served as the Vice President of the Students' Union (1981-82). He has represented India before the International Court of Justice in landmark cases.
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